


Mystery Never Breaks

by katzaren



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21527428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katzaren/pseuds/katzaren
Summary: Sebastian tries to charm MG into helping him. It almost works.
Relationships: Milton "MG" Greasley/Sebastian
Comments: 40
Kudos: 70





	1. You Are Quite the Adonis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first chapter picks up at the end of 2x04. This was only supposed to be one chapter, but then 2x05 came out and I had to write more. I can't get enough of these two!
> 
> Story title is from "Fragile World" by Alberto Rosende

“No, I am very real. And I need your help.”

MG couldn’t think clearly. Too many thoughts were crashing through his head at once. Sebastian was real. Lizzie wasn’t crazy. He’d made her think she was seeing things. And now his competition, who he should hate by definition, wanted his help. No freaking way.

“We can talk somewhere private if you are concerned that fellow over there will think you a madman,” Sebastian said, smirking.

“I don’t want to go anywhere with you!”

Wade stood up and glared at him, shoving his belongings into his bag.

“Sorry, West. I didn’t mean you. I meant my friend Lizzie. She did a spell to turn herself invisible. See?” He gestured vaguely at Sebastian, who wore an amused expression.

“Whatever. And how many times do I have to tell you, my name is Wade.” He stormed away from him.

MG turned to glare at Sebastian. “Look what you’ve done.”

“I believe that was entirely your fault,” Sebastian said, raising an eyebrow. “Now if you would show me to your quarters, we could avoid another such encounter.”

“Quarters? You know I’m not a servant, right?” MG said, highkey offended. “I’m a student here, just like everyone else.”

“Of course. My apologies. I should have said chambers instead. I merely meant the location in which you sleep.”

MG groaned. This guy was really starting to bug him. But he didn’t want rumors to spread that he was talking to himself, and the invisible Lizzie excuse wouldn’t hold up if she was mute too. 

“Follow me.” He led Sebastian through the halls towards his dorm room.

The old-fashioned vampire’s eyes roved over the paintings on the walls, the candlesticks, everything, like he was studying this place, trying to memorize it. MG wondered if it would have been smarter to take Sebastian somewhere else. He didn’t know what his intentions were or how much he could do while he was invisible. Hopefully he was as harmless as Lizzie believed him to be…

They reached MG’s room. Sebastian glided in after him, and MG shut the door, clicking the lock shut.

“Why are you asking me for help?” MG demanded, crossing his arms.

“You are friends with Elizabeth, yes?”

“Well, I was before you decided to go out with her without mentioning she was the only person who could see you. You made her think she was hallucinating. Now she won’t even talk to me.” MG picked up his jacket draped over his desk chair and put it on, unable to bear looking at Sebastian for a moment longer.

“That was not my intention, I assure you. I thought we were quite alone all the times I spoke with her. I was not expecting a hooligan to be lurking in the trees.”

MG raised his eyebrows. “Oh, I’m the hooligan? That’s funny because I’m not the one who lied to her.”

“Deceived,” Sebastian corrected. “And it was not without reason. I only needed to get close to her, to gain her trust, so I could ask her for this favor.”

“The same favor you’re asking me now. Without getting close to me or gaining my trust. Can’t you see how that makes no sense?”

“Well, I am getting quite desperate. I have been trapped a long time, and I am eager to be free again.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question. Why me? Are you planning to use me to get close to Lizzie?”

“Ah.” Sebastian had this look on his face like he understood MG on a deep level. His mouth twisted into a sly smirk. “Elizabeth is indeed a charming woman, but I do not have my heart set on her. After all, there are many dance partners at a ball. Why spend your time dancing with only one?”

It felt like his eyes were boring into MG. He wasn’t sure what Sebastian meant, but it sounded a bit flirty. But, no, that was stupid. MG must be imagining things. It was that old world charm that made everything he said sound like a proposition.

“Okay then,” MG said. “But you could have asked literally anyone else at this school.”

“I made a connection with Elizabeth. It broke, yes, but I thought I would do well to reach out to someone who knew of my existence. That way I would not be starting all over again.”

“Lizzie’s already blabbed about you to all her friends. Why didn’t you pick one of them?”

Sebastian grinned, looking quite pleased with himself. “I never had the pleasure of meeting her other friends, and rather than go with the unknown…”

“You went with the known?”

“Precisely. And I do not regret my choice. You are quite the specimen.”

“Can you stop talking about me like I’m some science project?”

“As the known variable, it seemed to be a fitting word to describe you, but I can see how it could be dehumanizing. I did not mean to offend you in the least. I could just as well have said you are quite the Adonis.”

MG gave him a funny look, unsure whether that was an insult or a compliment. Adonis was someone from Greek mythology, wasn’t it? MG couldn’t remember anything about him though.

Sebastian frowned, looking a little bit hurt. He seemed to be expecting some reaction from MG that he wasn’t getting. He smiled tensely and spoke again, laying on the charm even thicker this time. “Someone with your gorgeous mane and your fine-cut figure must be used to attention, yes? I am sure you are very popular with people around here.”

MG snorted. Was he making fun of him again? “I don’t see anyone lining up to be your friend. And it’s pretty dumb of you to ask for my help. I don’t know anything about you.”

“Forgive me. We have not been properly introduced. My name is Sebastian.”

“Yeah, I know that.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “And you are?”

“MG. Look, I still don’t know if you’re actually real, or if my head is just messing with me. You’re going to have to tell me more about yourself than just your name.”

“I am a vampire, as I’m sure Elizabeth has already told you. I was born in the fifteenth century. I led a simple life before being turned. My family became afraid of me and sought a way to hide me away. They succeeded, and I have been hidden for hundreds of years, locked away in a box somewhere, desiccated. I only seek an escape to this unending torment.”

MG gripped the edge of his desk to steady himself. That was a lot for him to process. He had been convinced he was imagining Sebastian, but he wasn’t sure his own mind could make this up.

“Hypothetically, if I were to help you, what would you need?”

“That depends,” Sebastian said, his gaze flicking to MG’s mouth. Or wait, that couldn’t be right… MG was definitely tripping. “What manner of creature are you?”

“I’m like you.”

“Ah, I thought you were a witch.” He looked disappointed for a moment, and MG could swear he saw him lick his lips. “Oh, yes, Elizabeth did say some of her closest friends were vampires. I take it that would include you.”

“You take it correct,” MG said, then shook his head. “Wait, that came out weird. I just mean, yes, I’m a vampire. And you’re a vampire, but your parents locked you in a box and starved you, so now you’re like extra dead or something like that.” He made a disgusted face, looking Sebastian up and down.

“Something like that,” Sebastian agreed, his voice lofty. “I would need you to find my body in that box somewhere around here.” He waved vaguely. “And with some human blood, I shall be restored.”

“And where is this box?”

“That is for you to discover, my friend.” It was clear MG wasn’t getting any more answers out of him. Damn mysterious guy.

“You know broody vampires aren’t really popular anymore. It was great ten or twenty years ago, but now girls prefer vampires who are straightforward.”

“Have you considered that I might not be trying to impress a girl at the moment?” Sebastian lifted an eyebrow. “But I am curious to know what you would suggest in order to impress someone.”

MG didn’t really know what to say. “I don’t know what you should do. But you need to get with the times, bro.” He punched Sebastian’s shoulder, trying to act casual, even though he was lowkey freaking out at Sebastian’s comment.

Sebastian grabbed MG’s wrist and twisted it behind his back. Pretty fast for a vampire, and that was saying something. “I am not your brother,” he said between gritted teeth.

“No, that’s not what it means. It’s like saying ‘dude’ or ‘man.’ Like hey, man, let go of me.”

Sebastian released his grip. “Ah. So this ‘dude’ and ‘man’ are the modern day equivalent of ‘good sir’ then?”

MG rubbed at his arm. “Yeah, that sounds right. Wow, you are really strong for an invisible guy.”

Sebastian inclined his head. “Why thank you, bro.”

MG suppressed a laugh, covering his mouth with his hand.

“What? Did I use it incorrectly?”

“No, it just sounds weird to hear you say it with all the formal speech. Maybe hold off on the slang for now.”

Sebastian nodded, looking relieved. “That is perfectly agreeable to me.”

“How long were you a vampire before, you know, the box thing?” MG asked. “If it was for a long time, then you’re really creepy. You know Lizzie is only sixteen, right?”

Sebastian rubbed his chin, considering. “I was a rather new vampire. I would say I was only roaming freely for about a year before I was locked away. I was eighteen when I was first turned, so even with my year of roaming, I am still a teenager myself.”

His shoulders relaxed. “Well, that’s a relief.”

Sebastian walked around the room, studying all of MG’s belongings before settling on his video game system. He pressed every button except the one to turn it on. “This thing you want me to call you... Emgee. What does it mean?”

MG snorted. Sebastian said his name like it was some mystical title. “It’s my initials. Didn’t you have those in the fifteenth century?”

“Ah, yes, we signed many a letter with them. What is your first name, if I may ask?”

“Milton.” MG made a face.

Sebastian smiled, displaying all his teeth. It was honestly a bit dazzling. “Milton. That is a marvelous name. Why do you choose not to use it?”

MG shrugged. “It sounds so old-fashioned and ugly.”

“Quite the contrary. Your name is beautiful, Milton. I knew a lovely place in England that bore the name. But if being called by your name makes you uncomfortable, I shall endeavor to call you MG.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind too much.” And he really didn’t. It felt okay when Sebastian called him that. It would feel stranger for him to call him MG. “What about you? Do you have any nicknames?”

“Oh, yes, my friends call me Sebastian the Insatiable. Or they did…” His voice trailed off as his gaze shifted to the floor.

“That’s kinda long for a nickname,” MG pointed out, ignoring the fact that it was a terrible nickname. Who wanted to announce that they were hungry all the time? Or maybe it was a sex thing… No way was he calling Sebastian that. “Usually people pick something shorter. Like Seb, Sebby, or even Bash.”

“Bash. I quite like the sound of that. All right. You may call me Bash if you so desire.” Sebastian grinned at him.

MG itched his head. “Sorry, I, uh, I need to go clean my shoes. See you later, Bash.”

Sebastian gave him the most alluring smile and a wave. “Until next time, Milton. I shall fiddle with this interesting contraption some more.”

“Sure, just try not to break anything.”

“Got it,” Sebastian said, smiling. “When you return, we can work out the details of our arrangement.”

“There is no arrangement. I still haven’t decided if I’m helping you yet. Look, I’ll ask my friend Kaleb in the morning for advice. If he thinks we should help you, then we will.”

“Ah.” Sebastian’s fist closed around the remote, shattering the plastic. He dropped it to the floor. “Well, that might be a problem. I am not the best at waiting. You see, I have done far too much of it in my time.”

MG bit his lip. It was taking everything in him not to attack Sebastian. This guy was pinching his last nerve. “You better learn fast then. ‘Cause we’re doing things on my time.”

A nerve feathered in Sebastian’s chiseled jaw. “I have tried to be civil, but you make things very difficult,” he said, his voice strained. He looked two seconds away from tackling him to the ground. “Milton, you are insufferable.”

MG scoffed. “Yeah, well, you’re instandable.”

“That is not even a real word, is it?”

“Sure, it is. It means I can’t stand you.”

Sebastian rubbed his forehead. “Goodness, the English language has suffered greatly in my absence. And you do realize that insufferable means the exact same thing, don’t you?”

“Yeah, of course I knew that. That’s why I said what I said.”

Sebastian laughed, looking like he’d finally cracked some big mystery. “Oh, I see. You’re an idiot. No wonder you need the aid of your friend to decide whether to help me or not. You cannot make the decision for yourself.”

“That’s not true,” MG said, his tone biting. “I could make a decision myself. If I wanted to.”

Sebastian pursed his lips and shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”

“No, I see what you’re doing here. I’m not going to let you trick me into agreeing to help you. Asking a friend for advice is the smart thing to do. It would be stupider—more stupid—for me not to.”

“Ah, not as dumb as I thought.” Sebastian closed the distance between them with one stride, getting right in MG’s face. “But not the sharpest knife in the drawer.” He smirked, wicked, teasing.

MG fought a strange mix of urges in his stomach. “I’m gonna go fix my shoe. When I get back, you better be gone. We’ll talk in the morning, okay? Otherwise I’m not helping you at all.”

Sebastian leveled him with a glare, his eyes cold and sharp. All the charm had gone out of him, and he just looked like a viper, poised to strike. “Well, you no longer have permission to call me Bash, you bloody turnip.”

MG rushed out of the room and slammed the door shut, hoping Sebastian wouldn’t follow him. When MG reached the bathroom, he closed the door behind him and leaned against the cool wood. He tried to shove down his feelings to where the sun don’t shine, but they kept clawing their way up as he remembered Sebastian’s brilliant smile, his subtle hint that he might be interested in someone other than Lizzie. How the hell did Sebastian manage to simultaneously infuriate him and allure him?

MG knew without a doubt this boy would be the second death of him.


	2. Don't Touch My Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian arrives early in the morning to get Milton from the boys shower room.

At nine o’clock in the morning, Sebastian appeared in the boy’s shower room. He couldn’t say how he knew the time or where Milton would be, only that he felt drawn to confront him in that steamy room.

Milton jumped when he saw him, letting out an embarrassingly high-pitched shriek. Well, embarrassing for him. Amusing for Sebastian.

Sebastian grinned, raking his eyes over Milton’s muscled torso. His dark skin was slick with droplets of water, a towel wrapped around his waist. Not much in the way of abdominal muscles, but his collarbones were wonderfully deep. Sebastian couldn’t help but want to trace his fingers in the hollows above the bones, to watch his own pale skin dance along the shadows.

“Good morning, Milton,” he greeted without making any effort to hide the desire burning through his chest. Or the desire he imagined to be burning, since his body was still buried in a box somewhere, festering and useless.

“Don’t appear in the shower room like some creep. You know, you’re doing a terrible job of convincing me to help you.”

Sebastian, unfazed, took a step towards Milton, enjoying his delayed reaction. He could see it in Milton’s eyes, a spark of interest before stubbornness won out and his dark eyes sharpened into a glare. He was fighting Sebastian’s charms, but not for long.

“Are you quite finished in here?” Sebastian asked, tapping his foot with mock impatience. He leveled Milton with a sultry stare, demanding that Milton meet his needs at once.

“I’ve just got to dry my hair.”

Sebastian huffed in annoyance and averted his gaze from Milton. The desired effect was almost instantaneous.

“Done,” Milton announced.

Slowly, with a great air of nonchalance, Sebastian returned his gaze to Milton. He watched the boy shake under the power of his gaze.

Milton stood up straighter, clearly forcing himself to hide what he was feeling, though it did little good. Sebastian was an expert on reading people.

He walked over to him, rubbing his fingers through the ends of Milton’s hair. “It dries like this?” he asked curiously.

Milton smacked his hand away. “You caught me on a shampoo day.”

Sebastian’s smile faded. Though he was an expert on reading people, he clearly had a lot of catching up to do with the terminology of this century. “What is this sham poo?”

“Shampoo. One word.” Milton had the unnerving ability to make Sebastian feel like an utter fool, a turnip, with merely the tone of his voice. “It’s like soap for your hair. Cleans out the dirt, makes you smell nice.”

Sebastian inhaled. He couldn’t smell anything. His spectral form was limiting, but he imagined the smell of the sweetest girl he’d ever known. Cassandra. It brought a soft smile to his lips despite the pain that lingered beneath. “What a magnificent scent, Milton. When my body is restored, you shall have to lend me this shampoo of yours.”

Milton’s face twisted into an adorable confused look. “It’s scentless.”

“Ah.” There it was again, that tone. Despite Sebastian considering himself unflappable, Milton had a way of finding ways to ruffle his feathers. It was all at once perplexing and fascinating.

“So, uh, are we done here?” Milton asked. “‘Cause this is getting really awkward. I’m half-naked here.”

“Yes, I noticed,” Sebastian said, slipping into an appreciative smile.

Milton cleared his throat. “Anyways, we should probably head out before someone else comes in here and thinks I’m crazy again.”

Sebastian was in something of a hurry, so he didn’t comment on how much he would enjoy watching that. “Of course. Lead the way.” He gestured towards the door.

As Milton passed by, Sebastian brushed his fingers against his coarse mane. Milton whirled on him. “Don’t touch my hair.”

“Forgive me. I just find it captivating. Even the wigs of my day were not as glorious as this.”

For a moment, Milton exhibited the desired effect. His knees became wobbly and he put a hand on the door frame to steady himself. But a moment later, he was lifting his chin and leveling Sebastian with a glare to rival his own. “If you want me to help you, you better stop making fun of me.”

He stormed out of the room, which would have gotten his point across, but the fact he was wearing nothing but a towel dampened the effect.

Sebastian was quick on his heels. “I was doing nothing of the sort. I actually do find your mane to be spectacular, even if the mind underneath leaves something to be desired.”

Milton twitched. There it was again. A weakness. Sebastian looked forward to exploring it later.

“You’re not one to talk. I bet you’ve never washed that hair of yours. If we restore your body, you will be the grossest monster to walk this school, and that’s really saying something since we’ve had an Arachne, an Oneiros, and zombies on this campus.”

“If you restore me, I vow to wash my hair every month, nay twice a month.”

“Try every other day with that oily mop.” Milton pivoted on his heel, coming to a halt before a door.

Sebastian studied the carvings along the wood. He recognized them from last night. “Why have we returned to your chambers? Should we not seek your wise friend?”

“I’ve got to put on some clothes first.”

Sebastian huffed, rolling his eyes with as much drama as he could muster. “If you must. Well, carry on. I shall wait here. But, I’m warning you, if you are not ready in five minutes, I shall come inside and fetch you myself, no matter what state of dress, or undress, you happen to be in.”

Milton turned quickly to the door, obscuring his face. The body language was enough to reveal his embarrassment. He opened the door and disappeared inside.

Sebastian grinned, feeling enormously pleased with himself. It was so fun to play with this toy, though Milton didn’t always make it easy. But it was much more entertaining than the usual ladies he would trick into giving him what he wanted. And Sebastian would pick entertainment over ease any day.

Milton appeared less than a minute later wearing a floral patterned button up shirt, grey pants, and a short black overrobe emblazoned with a red S. Sebastian thought he would do better to unbutton at least the top three buttons and show off that beautiful divet between his clavicles. He also noted a bracelet jingling on Milton’s right wrist. Interesting.

“Less than five. You happy?” Milton said, clearly masking his embarrassment with irritation. It was downright charming. Sebastian was about to destroy him, and Milton wouldn’t know what hit him.

Sebastian rubbed his chin. “Actually, no. I was hoping you’d take long enough for me to invade your privacy.” A thrill ran through Sebastian as Milton tensed up like a startled cat. He could already see the retort forming on Milton’s tongue, but he wouldn’t let him get a word in edgewise.

“A pity. But no matter, let us meet this wise friend of yours. Perhaps he will have significantly more sense than you do, my friend.”

“I am not your friend,” Milton said, getting right up in his face. Oh, what a wonderful place to be.

Sebastian realized he could close the distance with ease. With a kiss that would turn Milton into liquid gold in his hands. It would be worth it to feel how Milton’s body caved under his own, how his body melded to fit Sebastian, how his lips would beg for more.

But no, he would only get about a quarter of the enjoyment in this form. He would need his real body, fully restored, before he’d be able to fully appreciate the work of art that was Milton Greasley. Adonis indeed.

“May I inquire the name of this friend?” Sebastian asked as Milton led the way down the hall.

“Kaleb. Kaleb Hawkins.”

“Ah, Hawkins. A good strong surname. Is his family involved in falconry?”

Milton gave him that weird look again, crinkled nose, furrowed brows, that let him know he was off the mark again. Sebastian was doing his best to keep his cool, but he couldn’t help feeling he was riding in a carriage with mismatched wheels.

“He’s a vampire too,” Milton said.

“Ah.” Sebastian did a better job of hiding his disappointment this time. If Master Hawkins had been a witch, he could have lured him into feeding his own blood to Sebastian. Once they found his body, of course.

But at least vampires would be more likely to have access to the supply of blood Sebastian required. Then he could return to his life as usual, flirting his way into the most delicious meals. His mouth was watering just thinking about it.

Milton stopped abruptly, and Sebastian ran straight into him. Milton turned his head to level him with that impressive glare.

Sebastian returned it with a quick smile, then nodded his head towards the door. “I take it this is his chambers.”

“You take it—never mind. Yes, this is his room. Now, he’s a heavy sleeper so we need to be real quiet.”

“I don’t know why you’re looking at me. My capacity to interact with this world is rather limited in this form.”

Milton nodded. “Good.” He pushed open the door slowly and carefully, making the hinges creak. Just as he was about to step inside, Sebastian tickled under his arms.

Milton squirmed away, nearly knocking over a three-legged metal stool with no seat as he stumbled into the room, making quite a lot of racket.

Master Hawkins however did not wake. He was not as Sebastian expected. For one, he wore a red mask covering his eyes. He looked to be their age, but since he was a vampire, Sebastian could not be sure how old he was. Hopefully older and wiser than dear Milton.

Milton leaned over the bed. “Hey!”

“Wh—what!” Kaleb scrambled up, startled. 

“Can you see him?” Milton pointed to Sebastian with both hands, a little excessive in Sebastian’s opinion.

“All I see is a dude who can’t respect boundaries.”

“I told you no one else can see me.” Sebastian whacked the back of Milton’s head, showing him once again that though his interactions with the world were limited, he would abuse what little power he had.

“Boy!” Milton pointed a finger at him, and Sebastian merely looked at it in amusement. Riling up Milton was much too enjoyable.

“MG, you’re tripping.”

Sebastian’s gaze shifted to Kaleb. He had never heard that word used in that manner before, but he could fathom the meaning from Kaleb’s tone. This mask-wearing fellow didn’t seem like much of a sage, but he had more sense than Milton at least.

Sebastian met Milton’s eyes for a moment. He kept his eyes wide in a way that said, “please do try to muddle your way through this. I’m very curious to see how badly you can bungle this simple task.”

“I know,” Milton said.

Sebastian’s gaze cut back to Kaleb, and he smiled wide, thoroughly amused. Perhaps this council session was a good idea after all. Sebastian returned his gaze to Milton, suddenly very interested in how Milton would explain his way through this one.

“I know, I know. Lizzie, she, she met this new vampire.”

Kaleb had his eyes closed like he might go back to sleep. He clearly did not consider Milton as close a confidant as Milton did him. “Oh, yeah, uh, Sebastian.”

Sebastian grinned, pleased to hear he’d left an impression.

“She’s been flapping her gums about him all over school,” Kaleb said, moving his blanket so he could sit up.

Sebastian’s smile widened and he looked away. Even in this form, he still had the charm he’d been so renowned for in his day.

“Yeah!” Milton leaned down, explaining the whole situation about Sebastian not being real. Blah, blah, blah. He really was doing a bang up job of this.

“So I thought Lizzie was losing it,” Milton continued.

Sebastian leaned in close, making sure to invade his personal space.

“So now I’m seeing him. So either I’m hallucinating or this dude—”

Sebastian flicked Milton’s ear to remind him just how much he wasn’t hallucinating.

“Would you stop touching me?” Milton said, pointing at him and sounding a little hysterical. Sebastian couldn’t help but laugh. Milton couldn’t even imagine what it would be like if Sebastian were to touch him, really touch him. In a way that would be pleasurable for both of them. With his consent, of course. Sebastian was a gentleman after all.

“Whoa, whoa, hey. Hey, buddy,” Kaleb said, as if soothing a rabid animal. “Um...”

Sebastian sat down on a chair beside the desk to watch the show. This was taking far longer than he had anticipated, but he was thoroughly enjoying it.

“Ask him what he wants.”

“He wants us to find his body. He says he’s been dessicated in a box somewhere. He’s a little vague on specifics.”

Oh, oh. He was going to be like that, was he? Sebastian closed his eyes, trying to collect himself. To lose his cool around Milton might mean losing his help, but Milton really was pinching his last nerve. Did he have any brain cells to speak of? He was certainly missing the one in the center of his brain that held common sense.

“I’m vague,” Sebastian said, standing up and walking to stand behind Milton too close for comfort. He put his hands on Milton’s shoulders, enjoying how Milton relaxed into the touch for just a second before tensing up. “Because, as aforementioned…” He gestured with his hand, careful to keep his other hand on Milton’s back, and cleared his throat. Something about that physical content grounded Sebastian, but he still wasn’t above losing his calm. Just a little. “...I am dessicated in a box.” He used his hand to emphasize the words and swung his hand to whack Milton’s head.

Milton was quick to defend himself, blocking Sebastian’s arm.

“Oh, my God,” Kaleb muttered.

“I’m a pacifist, but if you touch my hair again, we will throw hands.” Milton threw Sebastian’s hand down with that last word. Impressive honestly. It was a fire and aggression Sebastian hadn’t expected from him, but he could see right through it. Milton liked when Sebastian touched him, but he was fighting it.

Sebastian laughed and made a swing at him. Milton ducked. Milton swung weakly at him and Sebastian blocked his every attempt, not that a blow from Milton would even hurt him. It was more about the principle of the thing.

“Stop!” Kaleb sank onto the bed, staring at Milton like he was a troubled child.

Sebastian and Milton straightened their coats. Milton apologized to his friend, and Sebastian used that opportunity to whack him in the back of the head. He really was starting to get annoyed now, but he had a new tactic to try. He’d noticed earlier that Milton was sensitive to insults about his intelligence. He used that in combination with standing a little too close, staring a little too intensely. “Please tell your far more intelligent friend that I have recently come into contact with blood. Just enough to reach that very limited mind of yours.” He poked Milton’s forehead, the cherry on top.

Milton flinched, and just that small motion rekindled Sebastian’s desire. He took a step back to calm himself and continued. “The blood was rancid.” He shot Milton a look.

Milton’s expression shifted. He knew something, that much was certain. He turned to Kaleb. “You remember that nasty blood fountain we moved?”

Kaleb gave him a look. “What about it?”

“We might have splashed some blood onto Sebastian’s box. Enough to wake up his consciousness or something.” Milton shot a glance at Sebastian, but unfortunately Sebastian didn’t have a better explanation for it.

“You mean we accidentally brought this fool back?”

Sebastian scoffed. A fool? Him? Oh, no. He was no jester! He played games to make people melt into his arms, not to laugh or entertain. No, that role was much more suited to Milton. And he was very good at it.

“So that means Sebastian’s box is in the basement,” Milton said. “We should go look while everyone’s getting ready for the dance tonight.”

“An excellent idea,” Sebastian said. “Finally, some progress towards my restoration.”

Milton turned to him, looking truly baffled. “We haven’t made a decision yet. We’re just going to see if you’re really down there. And then we’ll think about it.”

Sebastian huffed, rolling his eyes. Thinking had gotten them nowhere thus far. He needed action, a promise of blood, not more delaying with maybe’s and not yet’s. He stepped closer to Milton, smirking as he caught his pupils dilating. Attraction. He could see it clear as day. He wanted to tell Milton that if he restored him, he would get a lot out of the deal.

But Milton quite clearly had an affection for Elizabeth. He might be attracted to Sebastian, but that didn’t mean he had any desire to act on said attraction. Sebastian was tempted to try to persuade him to change his mind. He was sure he was a lot better in bed than Miss Elizabeth Saltzman, and only he could read Milton’s wants and give them to him one by one, slowly enough that he was begging for each touch, each kiss, each bite.

Maybe later, once his body was restored, he could pursue such things, but for now, he could see that tactic would not work to get him what he wanted. He needed to appeal to Milton’s softer side, to make him feel pity for him. At least long enough to give him what he wanted. And he would get what he wanted: both the blood and Milton Greasley all to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian's POV was so fun to write! I wasn’t planning to include the whole scene in Kaleb’s room, but when I rewatched it, I noticed there were so many interesting glances exchanged between MG and Sebastian. I just had to write it out and analyze what Sebastian could be thinking.
> 
> Comments are welcome. I'd love to hear other people appreciating this rare ship.


	3. A Real Pain in the Ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MG and Kaleb head down to the basement to find Sebastian's body. After seeking Dr. Saltzman's advice, MG goes to another friend for advice about his feelings for Sebastian.

Sebastian was getting on MG’s last nerve. Ever since they’d gone to Kaleb for advice, Sebastian had been treating him like an idiot. MG ignored the prickle of hurt that came when Sebastian referred to Kaleb as his “far more intelligent friend.”

He’d spent his whole life trying to get good grades and be smart enough for his father. But he’d never been good enough for him, and now Sebastian was making him feel that same hurt from before. He felt like that little boy crying in the closet so his father wouldn’t see his weakness.

But he wasn’t going to cry because of Sebastian. That would be stupid. He’d learned to be strong—well, stronger at least. He could keep his feelings inside.

Sebastian flicked his ear as they walked downstairs.

“Boy, stop that!” He batted his hands at Sebastian.

Kaleb just gave an amused snort. He believed MG, which was a huge relief, but he seemed to find it hilarious that the invisible vampire was bullying MG.

MG tried to speed up his pace. He wished they could all flit downstairs at vampire speed, but since Sebastian didn’t know where they were going, they couldn’t do that. “I swear, if Kaleb could see you, you wouldn’t dare touch me.”

Sebastian smirked, his eyes alight with some idea. “Perhaps, but if your friend would like to watch us, I would not say no.”

MG’s face twisted in confusion as he tried to make sense of Sebastian’s words. The way he said it sounded like a sexual thing. “That better not mean what I think it does.”

Sebastian chuckled, leaning right over MG’s shoulder. “Oh, it definitely does not mean what you think it does. I’m afraid with your limited imagination, you would not be able to fathom what I could do to you.”

MG whirled on him, but he miscalculated how close Sebastian was to him and his lips brushed against Sebastian’s neck. It sent a shiver down his spine, and the look in Sebastian’s eyes shifted to something dangerous, hungry.

“Oh, we shall have fun together once my body is restored.” Sebastian displayed his fangs, black veins stretching out under his bloodshot eyes.

That was a threat, wasn’t it? Well, MG wasn’t going to take crap from this vampire anymore. He’d had enough of him. He elbowed him hard in the stomach and smirked as Sebastian crumpled to the ground. “Enough of your bullying, you stupid jackass.” He kicked Sebastian with each word. His actions weren’t actually hurting the vampire, he knew, but it still felt good to let out all his rage.

A throat cleared.

He glanced up to see they had company.

Rafael was giving him a sympathetic smile. “Rough day?”

“No, it’s just—”

Sebastian was on his feet already. He tugged MG’s hair, and MG started swatting at him.

Rafael raised his eyebrows. “Everything okay?”

“There was a bug,” MG said, putting his hands behind his back. “I think I got it.”

Sebastian flicked his cheek, and he swatted at him on instinct.

“Another bug. The school might be infested. You should probably let Headmaster Vardemus know.” MG clapped Rafael on the shoulder. “Well, I’m going to be on my way. Kaleb and I have a project to work on.”

“Oh,” Rafael said, understanding in his eyes. “Something for the dance. Oh, God. Were those dance moves you were practicing? I didn’t mean anything by it. That was really cool, MG. Yeah.” He looked so embarrassed to have accidentally slighted MG. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. I know it’ll turn out great.” He rushed away.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him. “You never told me you were a dancer.”

Maybe it was MG’s imagination, but he actually looked impressed. “Yeah, well, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.” He straightened his cardigan. “And my dancing looks a lot better than whatever Raf saw.”

“I look forward to seeing it,” Sebastian said.

MG ignored him. They were almost to the basement anyways. He had no intention of ever letting Sebastian see him dance.

...

MG didn’t know what he was expecting to find in the basement, but it certainly wasn’t the desiccated body of a five-hundred-year-old vampire. Even with all Sebastian’s explanations, he still believed deep down that he had to be tripping. Or at the very least that Sebastian was lying.

But seeing Sebastian’s body now, realizing it was all real, filled MG with panic.

“He’s real all right,” Kaleb said. “But damn, dude smells worse than that blood fountain.”

MG couldn’t take his eyes off the body. He wrinkled his nose, trying not to breathe in the stench. Though maybe making himself sick to his stomach would make it easier to get his mind off the desiccated vampire.

“Oh, you’re both weaklings,” Sebastian drawled. The phantom version of him was sitting on the edge of his box, unfazed by his unsightly body.

“Shut up, your face looks like beef jerky,” MG snapped. He could feel Sebastian’s eyes on him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the body in the box. Reality was crashing down on him like a hailstorm.

“Oh, is he here? Tell him to talk to me.” Kaleb pointed to himself.

Sebastian sighed dramatically. He sounded genuinely disappointed as he spoke. “Oh, as much as I would love that, in my diminished state, I can only appear to the fragile-minded.” He grinned at MG. “Like you.”

MG couldn’t meet his eyes. Could this be any more humiliating? “Um, he says you have to be on the same spiritual wavelength.”

Kaleb put a hand to his chest, looking offended.

MG heard Sebastian groan behind him.

“Oh, this is maddening,” Sebastian said. “The rancid blood that you two turnips bumbled on me was inadequate. But with enough fresh blood, I will surely be restored.”

MG laughed. “Yeah. No way we’re doing that.”

“Doing what?” Kaleb asked.

Sebastian stood up, walking behind MG and leaning over his shoulder. “Not even if I can give you what you want. Hm?”

Sebastian was too close. MG swallowed, a muscle in his jaw twitching. The words he had chosen were so flirty, so suggestive. How the hell did Sebastian know what he wanted? And gosh, he didn’t even want Sebastian like that.

“Elizabeth Saltzman all to yourself. Without my competition.”

Relief poured through MG. This was about Lizzie. Even if Sebastian was trying to seduce him, it all came back to Lizzie. MG could handle that. Though the dude definitely needed to learn something about personal space.

“Come on, MG, what’s he saying?” Kaleb asked.

“Hold on. He’s just getting to the good part.”

Sebastian slunk around him, so close that MG could almost feel him against his neck. He didn’t want Kaleb to notice his reaction to the surly vampire, though he was grateful Kaleb couldn’t see how close Sebastian was standing to him.

“Set me free, Milton, and I give you my word, I will leave this town at once.” Sebastian walked behind him. MG could feel his presence, even though he moved out of his line of sight.

His words were so tempting. That would solve all of his problems. He wouldn’t have to worry about the flirty glances from Sebastian, or being captivated by the way he moved across the room. MG could focus on his real crush again, Lizzie. But then again, not helping him would accomplish the same exact thing...

MG felt Sebastian’s hair brush against him as he leaned over his shoulder. He was seriously considering his offer, but Kaleb insisted they needed to think about it more.

“Let’s talk to Dr. S. He’ll know what to do.”

“Ah, a doctor,” Sebastian said, grinning. “That does sound more promising than your sagacious friend.”

“You’re not coming with us,” MG said firmly.

“Fine. Consult your doctor.” Sebastian sat back on the edge of his box, waving his hand dismissively. “I shall wait for you to come to your senses. You know my word is good, Milton.”

…

They used the school phone in the library to call Dr. Saltzman. It turned out he was already at the school to see Josie. It didn’t take long for him to arrive in the library. His advice was not what MG had expected.

“What kind of crime leads to that kind of time?”

“Hypothetically, the slaughter of a couple dozen villages,” Dr. Saltzman said.

MG realized Sebastian could be a dangerous killer. Not that it was too surprising. It did make sense, what with the hungry looks Sebastian had been giving him. 

“You’re awfully quiet over there, MG.”

MG snapped out of his thoughts, worried Dr. Saltzman had noticed his complicated feelings.

“Um, I’m, I’m leaning Kaleb’s way on this one. Vamps before non-vamps.” MG knew the excuse sounded lame, but he hoped it would be enough to get Dr. Saltzman to stop looking at him like he suspected something. It was probably nothing, but still it was unnerving.

Dr. Saltzman advised them to leave Sebastian alone until they could find out more about him.

“But he said he’ll leave town. We should at least give him a shot to keep his word.” MG wasn’t even sure why he was saying that. He didn’t believe that Sebastian was a good person, or that he would keep his word. But still, he felt something for the vampire, and he didn’t like the idea of just leaving him in that box.

“And I vote we hold tight like Dr. S said. We figure out what Sebastian really wants,” Kaleb said.

“How are we going to do that?”

Kaleb said he would take care of that, which was honestly such a relief. MG knew he wouldn’t be able to get anything out of Sebastian. Being around him would just put him on edge again.

…

MG was too stressed out to sit in his room and play video games. He felt like he needed to talk to someone about what was going on. There was only one person he trusted enough for a conversation like this. He found her in her dorm room, talking with her dad.

“Hey, Josie. Sorry to interrupt. I wanted to talk to you about something.” God, MG was so nervous. He flexed his fingers.

“Of course. Is something wrong?”

Alaric nodded to the door. “Well, I’ll be on my way.” He carried a dress bag and a hat out with him.

“Can we talk somewhere else?” MG asked. He didn’t like the idea of being in Josie’s room alone with her. Landon might get the wrong idea, and he’d already put the poor kid through enough.

“Yeah, let’s head outside.” Josie looked so concerned for him. It was actually a bit heartwarming. They were a lot closer last year, but since she’d started dating Landon, he hadn’t gotten much time to just hang out with her like they used to.

They went to sit on the pier by the lake since it was unlikely someone would overhear them there. MG would have to be careful about his wording though, just in case the vampire in question was listening in from his spectral state. He’d been able to hear everything Kaleb said, so it stood to reason he could become invisible to MG and spy on him. The thought was at once terrifying and a little bit thrilling. MG tried to ignore that last part.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Josie asked, her smile gentle. She looked ready to listen and eager to comfort him.

“I was wondering how you knew you were starting to like Penelope. It’s just, she’s so different from you. Was it like an opposites attract thing or…”

Josie seemed surprised that he’d brought up Penelope. To her it was probably ancient history. “I guess it was more that I’m attracted to people I feel like I can fix. I know that sounds stupid.”

“It doesn’t. I get that. But was there, like, a part of you that was drawn to her because she was bad?”

Josie shrugged her shoulders, failing to hide a smile. “Maybe a little. She was unpredictable and had all these strong opinions. I could listen to her talk for days. She was just really interesting, you know?”

The exact opposite of Landon, but MG wasn’t about to insult her boyfriend. Even if he was as bland as stale toast. “Do you regret dating her?”

“No,” Josie said. She didn’t even need a minute to think about it. “It’s true that we brought out the worst in each other, but she also helped me figure out what I wanted in life. I learned a lot from the relationship, even after we broke up. I’m determined not to let myself hide in Lizzie’s shadow anymore.”

“Well, I think you’re doing a pretty good job of that.” MG smiled at her.

Josie tucked her hair behind her ear. “So, why did you bring up Penelope? Have you heard from her or something?”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that. Just, well, I might have a crush of my own. Well, not a crush. A curiosity, really.”

Josie perked up. “Oh, who is it?”

“You don’t know him.”

Josie’s face lit up, and she bumped his shoulder. “What’s he like?”

MG paused, trying to figure out how to sum up Sebastian. “He’s tall, handsome, and infuriating. Terrible with personal boundaries. A real pain in the ass.”

Josie giggled. “That sounds to me like a crush. Do you think about him at night? When you’re laying down to go to sleep?”

“No. I haven’t known him that long.” MG fiddled with his daylight ring, twisting it round and round his finger. It was a nervous habit he really needed to drop. If he accidentally pulled it off, he’d be in a world of pain.

“Do you think he’s pestering you because he likes you?”

“Maybe. He’s been flirting with me pretty openly. But that just might be the kind of guy he is. You know, flirts with anyone.”

“Unlikely,” Josie said. “Not to be rude, MG, but if someone is going through the trouble to flirt with you, that probably means they like you.”

“That really felt like a dig.”

Josie gave him an apologetic smile. “You’re a little intense, MG, and hard to get to know. Some people like that, but most people that flirt with everyone go for the easy types. Like Lizzie.”

“Lizzie is not easy,” MG was quick to defend.

“Not easy for you, maybe. But for every other guy she’s gone after.”

MG thought about that. Sebastian might even have targeted Lizzie because she seemed like she would be easy to reach. MG had seen how head over heels Lizzie was for him after only knowing him a day. But with MG, Sebastian must have known that flirting with him would not get him what he wanted. MG had made sure to show him that. So why was the guy still at it? Maybe he was just doing it to tease MG or get a rise out of him and it had nothing to do with having any interest in him at all.

He sighed. This was just making his head ache.

“Oh, crap. It’s that late already,” Josie said, checking her phone. “Sorry to cut this short, MG. I’ve got to go get ready for the dance.”

MG nodded. “It’s okay. You’ve got to look good for your date, right?”

She smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll figure it out with your mystery guy. Don’t worry too much. These things tend to work themselves out in the end.” She rushed back up to the school.

MG stayed on the pier for a while, watching the water shimmer on the lake, then he went inside to change for the dance too.

...

When he found Kaleb at the dance, he had news, but it wasn’t good. Sebastian was a cold-blooded killer. MG felt like he should have known. The way Sebastian moved like a predator, how he’d flirted with MG to try to get him to help. He’d tried all the classic Dracula luring techniques, the kinds Milton had been angry to read about.

Sebastian was the privileged, powerful vampire who abused consent whenever possible that Milton had complained about in class. He couldn’t decide if it was ironic or cruel that he’d met a vampire like this. Honestly the cruelest part was his own feelings.

He pushed those thoughts down again. He hated Sebastian. The guy purposefully appeared to him in front of people and fought with him in front of Kaleb and Rafael to make him look crazy. He attempted to charm him into helping him. He’d even dangled Lizzie in front of his face like bait. He was just so manipulative and confident and too damn good-looking.

MG was ashamed that he’d been so enchanted by Sebastian that he’d been blind to reason. He’d even confessed to Josie that he might like the guy. But he’d never tell Kaleb any of that. “And I voted to let him out. I—I wasn’t thinking.”

“Oh you were thinking all right,” Kaleb said with a knowing look. For a moment MG was scared Kaleb had figured it out. “About Lizzie Saltzman. But this is more proof that when you chase her, you’re not peak MG, you know?”

“I don’t know what to do with that,” MG said, but he was relieved. Kaleb didn’t suspect anything about his feelings for Sebastian. Feelings that really needed to go away, damn it.

If they didn’t feed Sebastian any more blood, he’d weaken until he couldn’t appear to MG anymore. He just needed to wait it out. Luckily Kaleb had the perfect distraction. He had the DJ switch it to a better song so they could dance. MG moved his body around, shaking those thoughts out of his head. It was easy to get swept away in the music and flashing lights and just have a good time.

...

Once he was worn out from dancing, he went into the foyer to where the witches were partying. He had an idea to get both Sebastian and Lizzie out of his mind. He pulled out his mirror and video-called Kym, his summer crush. If she wasn’t Kaleb’s sister, he’d definitely be focused on her.

Kym was so excited to see his school. “You do realize you go to the dopest school of all time, right?” Her expression changed. “You should probably tell that to the dude behind you in the black coat.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“The one staring at you.”

Milton turned his head, and fear ripped through him. Sebastian was right behind him, his mouth covered in blood. The sight of him was at once terrifying and electrifying...

Sebastian blew MG a kiss, then flitted out of the room at vamp speed. His heart fluttered in his chest as desire burned deep within him. It took a moment for reality to catch up to him. Kym could see Sebastian, and the blood on his lips. Someone had fed him enough blood to restore him. But who would do that?

The only people that knew about Sebastian were Kaleb and Dr. Saltzman. They both seemed dead set against reviving him. And with what Kaleb had found out, Sebastian was a cold-blooded killer. He’d slaughtered hundreds of innocent humans back in his day, fed so much that he’d needed to be locked away in a box.

They needed to catch him and kill him. He couldn’t be imagining what it would be like if Sebastian was a good guy. He’d only been flirting with MG to get what he wanted. He had charmed Lizzie first and that had worked on her, so it was only natural Sebastian would try that on MG.

All the flirting meant nothing, and MG had to accept that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally back with a new chapter! I really enjoyed bringing a couple more characters into this chapter. Things will definitely get more intense next chapter as Sebastian roams free.


	4. It Was Only A Drink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian gets tired of waiting for MG to hunt him down and goes to check on him. MG fights his complicated feelings and finally decides what to do about Sebastian.

Sebastian never had any intention of leaving town, not when it held such interesting people as Elizabeth Saltzman, Milton Greasley, and Kaleb Hawkins. Sebastian was actually feeling quite proud of himself for his cleverness. He’d tricked that lonely fellow, Wade, into giving him enough of his own blood to wake Sebastian’s body, and then he’d risen from his box and sunk his teeth into that boy’s neck.

But he didn’t kill him. He could have easily, but he knew Elizabeth would never forgive him if he did. Nor would Milton. The vampires of this time functioned differently. They drank the blood of animals instead of humans. He could smell it all over Milton. It made them weaker, more fragile-minded, easier to reach.

Once he’d drunk his fill, Sebastian went to find Milton. It wasn’t hard to spot his beautiful hair in the crowd of people inside the foyer of the school. He waited until Milton’s dark eyes were locked on to him, and then he slowly sucked the blood off his fingers.

He wanted Milton to know that he’d found another way, that he was back. And he would be coming for him. He gave him an air kiss to hint at what was to come.

Then he disappeared into the night air, flitting through the trees. He wasn’t hungry enough to seek out another snack, though he could hear some werewolves partying at the Old Mill.

He had no desire to go back and find Kaleb Hawkins or Elizabeth. Milton would surely inform them of his return, and they’d be arming up to track him down. No, it was best he kept his distance.

They would catch up to him of course. Elizabeth could do a tracking spell to find him. He only had to wait. He found a quiet spot next to a tree on higher ground. He’d be able to see them coming and prepare to defend himself.

Sebastian waited. And waited.

No one came.

This didn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t Milton come after him? He was a dangerous killer, and he’d let Kaleb Hawkins know. He’d been tricked into revealing that, of course, but it was what he thought Kaleb wanted to hear. He would’ve said anything to get Kaleb to free him since it was clear Milton wasn’t going to help him.

Finally, Sebastian was too frustrated and bored to sit still, and he couldn’t ignoring the gnawing feeling of worry in his stomach. Maybe something had happened to Milton. If he had told Elizabeth first and she had reacted badly, well, Milton could be injured or worse.

Could Elizabeth be holding him captive somewhere? A powerful witch like her could do all sorts of things to him. Aneurysm spells, desiccation spells, fire spells. The list went on and on.

Sebastian went back to the Salvatore school. He almost missed his spectral state. He’d been able to find Milton with ease, almost instinctively, but now he no longer had that power. He listened for the unmistakable sound of Milton’s voice but heard nothing.

Since he had no idea where to find Elizabeth and no way to track her, he went to Milton’s room. Even if he wasn’t inside, he might be able to find out where he went. If he wasn’t there, he could try Master Hawkins next.

He stood in front of Milton’s door, nervous at what he might find, but Sebastian couldn’t wait a moment longer. He yanked the door open and the lock snapped under his grasp.

The room was quiet and dark, but Sebastian could see everything clearly. He walked around, careful to make as little noise as possible. He came upon the bed in the middle of the room and found Milton was sleeping there alone. He looked uninjured. It was possible Elizabeth had hurt him and his injuries had already healed, but it didn’t make sense for her to leave him unrestrained.

This puzzled Sebastian a great deal. If Elizabeth hadn’t tied him up, why hadn’t he come after Sebastian? Maybe this was a trap, and Milton knew he would come back if they were silent enough.

“If you’re going to attempt to capture me, now would be the time,” Sebastian drawled, searching the corners of the room for Elizabeth or Kaleb. She could have a cloaking spell on them so he wouldn’t see them, or she could have used an illusion spell to make it appear like Milton was there.

Sebastian reached over and prodded Milton’s shoulder to test if he was real.

Milton startled awake. When he saw him, he scrambled out of bed and held up a wide-toothed comb. It was a pathetic weapon, and it would have made Sebastian laugh, but he was too busy studying Milton for injuries.

“What the hell are you doing in my bedroom? Are you here to kill me?” Milton was wearing plaid blue pants but no shirt.

“No, quite the opposite. I was concerned for your safety.” Sebastian couldn’t help but drink in his exposed chest. His mind was already wandering to the fun they could be having, instead of this inane line of questioning.

“Bullshit. You’re mad I didn’t help you.”

“Disappointed. Not angry. I thought you would want me back in my real body.”

Milton raised an eyebrow. “Why would I want that? Kaleb told me what you did.”

“Ah, yes, my dark past. It is, how do you say, ancient history. I am prepared to turn over a new leaf, Milton, if you’ll allow me.”

“No, you fed on someone. How is that turning over a new leaf?”

“That was a necessity to restore my body. You would not help me, so I found someone else who would.”

“Who?” Milton demanded.

“I borrowed your fairy friend.”

Milton’s face twisted in confusion.

“The one you were talking to when I first approached you.”

“You mean Wayne? Or was it Wade?”

“Yes, him. He was kind enough to feed me some of his blood.”

Milton clenched his fist. “I swear, if you killed him—”

“Relax,” Sebastian said, raising his hands.  “It was only a drink. Wayne offered it to me of his own free will. He was merely helping a friend. Really, he was perfectly understanding about the whole thing. He was even kind enough to tell me where I might find you.”

“You tricked him,” Milton accused.

A slow smile spread across Sebastian’s face. “Why, yes. I did indeed. He ate up my sad story about my horrible parents and shared that he never knew his parents. It was really quite touching.”

“Why haven’t you left? You promised you would.”

Sebastian laughed, a slow, dark chuckle. “No, my dear turnip, I offered you a trade. You did not uphold your end of it. Therefore,  there is no deal. I will be staying in Mystic Falls.” He grinned at him and watched carefully for Milton’s reaction.

The vampire was harder to read this time. “You’re staying for Lizzie,” he said at last.

“No,  I am staying for you.”

He could see that Milton was interpreting his words as a threat. He thought Sebastian was staying to spite him or get some personal vengeance for not helping him. Sebastian would have to convince him that he meant no harm.

“Why haven’t you gathered your friends to hunt me down?” Sebastian asked, curious.

Milton stuck out his chin. “I haven’t decided what to do with you yet.”

“So you thought you would just let me roam free for a night? Attack whomever I please. You know, I could have slaughtered each and every student at this school. If I’d wanted to. The werewolves would have been easy. Witches are a bit trickier but still quite within the scope of my talents. Kaleb Hawkins told you about my past, so how could you just sit back and calmly go to sleep? What if I had been seeking personal vengeance against you? It would have been only too easy to kill you in your sleep.”

Milton looked at a loss for words.

“Are you really such a turnip that none of that occured to you?”

“Of course I thought of that,” Milton said angrily. “But I was preoccupied with something else.” He turned his head away, looking ashamed.

Oh, now that was interesting. Was he ashamed to have feelings for Sebastian? Even after learning Sebastian was a killer, he still cared about what happened to him. “That’s very touching, really, and I can assure you I won’t be harming any more students here. Drinking from Wayne was a necessary evil, to restore myself. If you’d been locked in a box for five hundred years, you would understand.”

“If you thought I would be coming after you, why did you come here?” Milton demanded.

“I had to see you.”

Milton held out his comb again. It was amusing how he thought that was an actual weapon. “I’m not letting you near Lizzie.”

“That’s quite all right. You are more than enough to keep me entertained, Milton.”

Sebastian realized that with his body restored, he had quite a lot of power over Milton. His powers of telepathy had grown stronger over the years. He could easily reach into Milton’s mind and explore his memories, find out how Milton really felt about him. All he needed to do was put his hands on the sides of his head and look inside. Though there was no need for that. He could read Milton’s body language easily enough.

If he wanted to go the extra mile, he could fill Milton’s head with naughty dreams of copulation. He could make Milton believe he was in love with him. But Sebastian would not do any of that to him, no. Tapping into those abilities would be cheating. If Milton was to fall for him, he wanted it to be real.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at, but you need to stop. This is getting really creepy. Watching me sleep. Who do you think you are? Edward Cullen?”

Sebastian made a face. He did not know the fellow, but from Milton’s tone, it didn’t sound like someone he would want to meet.  “This is no game, Milton.”

He took slow strides to the younger vampire and carefully pried the comb out of his hand. Milton was surprisingly compliant under his gaze. He wasn’t even using any tricks on him, just his polished charm. He placed a hand on Milton’s chest over his heart. “Are we really going to ignore this? I am drawn to you, Milton. More so than I am to Elizabeth. Am I making myself plain enough for you to understand?”

Milton swallowed, but he didn’t take a step back or try to push Sebastian away. He just stared at him, as if trying to figure him out.

“You doubt my sincerity,” Sebastian said.

“Of course. You just flirt with people to get what you want, but you don’t mean any of it.”

Sebastian traced his thumb along Milton’s lower lip, enjoying how Milton’s body tensed underneath him. There was desire in those dark brown eyes, and he was eager to explore it. But he could tell Milton wasn’t ready yet. He would need to convince him of his affections before he tasted those smooth lips.

“Until next time,” Sebastian said with a wink and then left the room at vamp speed. He felt so alive tonight. All these possibilities were laid out before him like a grand feast. He was free of that cursed box, and he could roam this earth as he pleased, see everything that changed over the years, and slowly but surely he could get Milton to see the sincerity of his feelings.

Sebastian found a nice cave in the woods to settle in for the night. It would be useful for keeping the sun out once morning came. He allowed himself to sleep and dream of his fascinating Adonis.

...

MG clutched his chest, still not quite processing what had just happened with Sebastian. Had the vampire actually admitted to having feelings for him?

His skin prickled where Sebastian had touched him. It was both a good and a terrible feeling. Good because Sebastian felt so much better in his own body, no longer a spectral spirit. The idea that Sebastian could now fully interact with the world sent a dangerous thrill down his spine. But MG was also feeling terrible because now he was craving Sebastian’s touch, and he couldn’t let himself have it.

Sebastian was a monster. He’d killed countless humans in his past. MG was certain that if Wade had been a human instead of a witch, Sebastian would have drained him with no mercy. Maybe he just valued witches and vampires more highly.

MG wondered why Sebastian hadn’t tried to trick MG into giving him his blood. Vampire blood would work to awaken a desiccated vampire, even if it wasn’t what Sebastian normally drank. Maybe he didn’t want to hurt MG, or more likely, maybe he just didn’t know vampire blood would work. If he was telling the truth and he’d only been a vampire a year, there was a lot he might not have learned yet. Especially since there was no school for vampires in the sixteenth century—at least not to MG’s knowledge.

He couldn’t even imagine Sebastian in a classroom setting. Unless he was on the teacher’s desk, pinning MG down against the cool wood, gazing at him with those sharp blue eyes.

MG shook his head, determined to snap out of it. He couldn’t have these feelings anymore. Though Josie was definitely right that there was something exciting about the idea of being with someone bad.

But Sebastian wasn’t just someone bad. He was particularly dangerous to MG because he drank human blood.

The real reason MG hadn’t told anyone about Sebastian yet was because when Sebastian had appeared to him, blood all over his mouth, it had awakened something in him. His ripper side, which he’d been keeping suppressed with animal blood, threatened to come out again.

After Sebastian blew a kiss to him and left the party, all MG could think about was the blood on his mouth. The smell of it was intoxicating. And he could smell the person Sebastian had drank from, or their blood. They were inside the school with plenty of blood to spare. Near enough that MG could have gone and drained the unlucky fellow. It had taken all of his self control to get himself back to his room.

Dr. Saltzman had given him a dart gun in case of emergencies. It had a drug in it that would knock him out. He’d had to literally shoot himself with the dart gun to stop himself from tracking down Sebastian’s victim. That was why as much as he was drawn to Sebastian, he couldn’t let himself give in to these feelings. They needed to stay buried, and the only way that was going to happen was if they captured Sebastian and dealt with him.

If Sebastian had really been a misunderstood vampire, desiccated by his parents out of fear, MG would have helped him in a heartbeat. Honestly before Kaleb told him the truth, MG was considering sneaking back into the basement to wake Sebastian himself. Even though it went against everything Dr. Saltzman and Kaleb had said. Even though part of him just wanted the vampire to stay desiccated.

Now he saw the error of his blind trust. Whether Sebastian truly had feelings for him or not, he didn’t need a killer in his life. Even if Sebastian became a better person, he would still tempt MG to drink human blood. Or like today, he would neglect to clean his mouth before visiting MG. And if that happened, MG’s ripper side would come back in full force, and the thought of that terrified him enough to pretend like he wasn’t feeling anything.

It was better this way, really. He had Lizzie and Kym, both great romantic options. He didn’t need a sexy vampire, no matter how much he’d been imagining chasing Sebastian into the woods, Sebastian pushing him against a tree and running his hands all over his body.

Crap. MG needed a cold shower now. Okay, shower first and then he’d go find Kaleb to tell him everything that happened. It was late enough that he should be back in his room after the dance.

...

MG knocked on Kaleb’s door at three in the morning. It was late, but he needed to let Kaleb know what was going on. This was too important to wait until morning. He’d taken his shower and calmed down enough that there was no prominent bulge in his pants anymore.

Kaleb opened the door, glaring. “I need my beauty sleep, bro.”

“Sebastian escaped,” MG said.

Kaleb’s eyes widened, and he immediately let MG into the room, flitting behind him at vamp speed to close the door. MG nearly tripped on the tripod again as he walked into the room.

MG pulled up a chair next to Kaleb’s bed and sat down while Kaleb sat at the end of his bed. “So, what happened, dude? Did you go back for him?”

“No, of course not!”

Kaleb lifted his hands. “Hey, you were the one trying to convince Dr. S he deserved a chance.”

“I couldn’t let him out after learning what you found out. But, dude, we totally underestimated him. He was able to reach Wade, and he convinced Wade to give him his own blood.”

“Who’s Wade?”

“You know, the guy in the A/V club.”

“We have an A/V club?”

MG rolled his eyes. “He’s a witch at our school, doesn’t really have any friends.”

“Oh, I think I know who you’re talking about. He’s not dead, is he?”

“No, Sebastian didn’t kill him. He just drank enough blood to restore his body, maybe a little more, and then he came to find me after I left the dance.”

Kaleb’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit. Did he attack you?”

“No, no. I’m fine.” It was a lie, but MG wasn’t ready to tell him about his bloodlust. He was in control now. Wherever Wade was, he’d gotten someone to patch him up. MG couldn’t smell any more of his blood, thank goodness.

“So what did he do?”

“Nothing, really.” MG blushed as he thought of how Sebastian had licked the blood off his fingers, so seductively, and that little kiss he’d blown him. If he hadn’t been so freaked out at the time, he might have appreciated it more. Now it just felt weird. His heart was doing funny things, and he needed it to stop.

“I think he just wanted to show me he’d found another way,” MG said. “Other people could see him, so I know he wasn’t just appearing like that to scare me.”

“Did you check his box?”

“I can’t,” MG said, voice strained. “What if there’s still blood in there?”

Kaleb nodded in understanding. “I can check for you and clean up the blood if there’s any. Do you want me to do that now?”

MG shook his head. “No, I know Sebastian isn’t in the box anymore. You can clean up the blood later. Right now we need a plan to capture him. He came to find me again about an hour ago. He says he’s planning to stay in Mystic Falls.”

“Did he say anything about Lizzie?”

MG shrugged. “Not really.”

“Well, we’ve got to tell her what’s going on.”

MG folded his hands, uncomfortable. “I know, but it can wait until later. Sebastian won’t come back tonight, and he doesn’t have a daylight ring, so we won’t have to worry about him until tomorrow night. We need a plan. Some way to trap him.”

“What about using my sister as bait? She’s supposed to be coming tomorrow for Commonwealth Day.”

“You really want to put your own sister in danger?” MG asked, shocked.

“Kym has taken so many self defense classes. She can take care of herself. We’ll just get her some vervain spray and make sure she drinks a little vervain in her coffee. That way Sebastian can’t compel her, and if he does manage to bite her, he’ll suffer the consequences.” Kaleb rubbed his hands together as if imagining Sebastian poisoned from drinking vervain-laced blood.

It was admittedly a little diabolical and very risky. Sure the blood would poison Sebastian, but if he bit Kym, MG wouldn’t be able to control himself. But then again if MG bit her while she had vervain in her blood, that would poison him too. Maybe this could actually work.

“Okay, let’s do it. But we’re not going to kill Sebastian.”

“We’ll just let Headmaster Vardemus deal with him.”

MG nodded. That sounded fair. Besides, Vardemus was a witch himself. He could cast the spell to desiccate Sebastian again, and then all would be right with the world and MG could move on with his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again with a new chapter! Things got really intense in this one. I hope everyone is enjoying it. I really wanted to work the ripper stuff into the storyline since they actually brought it up again on the show, and I feel like it adds a good conflict to MG and Sebastian's potential relationship.


End file.
